Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 596 General's Family Affairs
"Did you hear that? That brat admitted it herself!" Bai Zaixiang glanced sideways at Bai Zaiying.

"Oh, sister! Yun'er just didn't want to disappoint you." Bai Zaiying walked to Bai Zaiyun's side, gently put her arm around her third sister's shoulder, and softly patted her back. "Right?"

"Hmm," Bai Zaiyun shrank behind Bai Zaiying.

"Hmph, don't want to disappoint me? You're just trying to show off, but you've exposed your ass instead!" Bai Zaixiang took two steps forward and pulled Bai Zaiyun out from behind Bai Zaiying. "I'm asking you, where are the others now?"

“I don’t know,” Bai Zaiyun said in a muffled voice, her head down. “She may have spent the night at Captain Qiu’s camp, or she may have gone somewhere else.”

"Is anyone injured?" Bai Zaixiang pressed.

"No!" Bai Zaiying squeezed half her body between her sisters and said, "I just asked Yang San Di and Uncle Thirteen. Everyone is healthy, not even a single one has caught a cold."

"You get over here, or I'll deal with you too." Bai Zaixiang's tone softened slightly, but she still glared at Bai Zaiying.

“Sure, go ahead and hit me, preferably in public.” Bai Zaiying wasn’t intimidated at all. “That way everyone will know that our Bai family has such a kind and impartial older sister.”

"Ha!" Bai Zaixiang gave a cold, dry laugh. "You know what, that's really what I think."

"Huh?" Bai Zaiying was taken aback. She had originally wanted to make a last-ditch effort by citing "family scandals should not be aired in public," but she never expected Bai Zaixiang to agree so readily.

Bai Zaixiang slowly turned her head and looked at Bai Zaiyun, saying, "Tomorrow morning at roll call, punish them with twenty strokes of the military rod for disobeying military orders on the drill ground."

"Twenty strokes!" Bai Zaiying exclaimed in shock. "Wouldn't that flatten her buttocks? How could she possibly withstand such a beating?"

"No! No! I know I was wrong!" The terrifying thought of having her bottom slapped flat instantly faded the tan lines on Bai Zaiyun's face. She cried and shook her head, covering her bottom as she backed away. "I'll never do it again. Please forgive me!"

"Now I know you're scared?" Bai Zaixiang stared at Bai Zaiyun, taking one step after another as she retreated. "Why weren't you scared when you insisted on leading the team into the ravines against everyone's wishes?"

“Actually, not everyone is against it,” Bai Zaiyun forced a pitiful smile. “Besides, Fourth Aunt and Thirteenth Uncle didn’t stick to it to the end.”

"Hmph, finally starting to make excuses," Bai Zaixiang said sarcastically.

“I’m not lying,” Bai Zaiyun shook her head. “You can ask me if you don’t believe me.”

"I won't ask, and I don't want to ask." Bai Zaixiang suddenly stretched out her arm, grabbed Bai Zaiyun's chin with her other hand, and forced her to look at her. "In the team, only the captain's words are orders. Everyone else, no matter what they say, can only be called suggestions. If you insist, they can't insist, otherwise it's disobedience. They obeyed your orders and changed the itinerary, which is acting on your orders. I won't hold them accountable, nor will I shift the responsibility that you should bear onto them. From beginning to end, this matter has been caused by you acting on your own, violating the battle plan I set. I have never delegated the authority to act expediently. This is disobedience."

Bai Zaiyun pouted and sobbed.

“Crying won’t help. I specifically warned you before you left the camp, but you didn’t listen.” Bai Zaixiang’s tone was harsh, completely devoid of warmth. But at the same time, she couldn’t help wiping away her third sister’s tears. “Weren’t you especially happy when you caught those messengers? Thinking that your good looks could cover up all your flaws?”

"Hmm." Bai Zaiyun's heart tightened; that was indeed what she thought.

“Bai Zaiyun, let me tell you,” Bai Zaixiang raised her tear-stained hand and lightly patted Bai Zaiyun’s cheeks a few times. “I don’t care about one good deed covering up a hundred bad ones. From the moment you decided to lead the team off the route I had drawn for you, you could no longer gain any merit. Even if you return with the greatest credit, or even personally behead the bandit leader, I will distribute it among others. Do you understand?”

"Okay. I heard you. There won't be a next time." Bai Zaiyun said pitifully, "Please forgive me, don't flatten my butt."

“Yes, Third Sister already knows she was wrong,” Bai Zaiying walked over and pulled the hand that was pinching Bai Zaiyun’s chin away. “Eldest Sister, please forgive her.”

“No, she didn’t hear clearly, and she doesn’t know she’s wrong.” Bai Zaixiang’s arms were tense, unmoved. “She’s just afraid of being beaten. So, she has no choice but to take this beating.”

"No, I didn't really hear you clearly, I really know I was wrong." Bai Zaiyun took a step back, briefly breaking free from Bai Zaixiang's grasp. But immediately afterward, Bai Zaixiang, now like a tigress, pounced and grabbed her wrist. Then, with a swift turn and a flip of her hand, she subdued Bai Zaiyun in a grappling position.

"What are you not?" Bai Zaixiang whispered in Bai Zaiyun's ear, "Why didn't you finish your sentence? You were trying to say 'it's not that you're afraid of being beaten,' but you were definitely afraid, weren't you?"

Bai Zaiyun was speechless and could only look up at her second sister with pleading eyes.

Bai Zaixiang was so resolute that Bai Zaiying had run out of options and was left with only one last resort. She took a deep breath and let out a long, forced laugh, "Hehehehe."

"What are you laughing at all of a sudden?" Bai Zaixiang was indeed drawn in. "Are you crazy?"

"To avoid tarnishing their reputations through the civil service examinations, high-ranking officials in the capital often force their sons not to take the exams in the year they are eligible to pass. It's jokingly called 'borrowing a son to buy public funds.' Now, Bai Zaiying's wife, Bai Zaixiang, the deputy commander of the reinforcements from Youyang, insists on publicly beating her sister even after Yuan Bingxian has already forgiven her. Perhaps this is what 'borrowing a sister to buy public funds' means?" Bai Zaiying's worst tactic was to use mockery and provocation.

Bai Zaixiang was taken aback at first, clearly not quite understanding. But quickly, her entire face turned bright red. "Heh!" Bai Zaixiang sneered and released Bai Zaiyun.

“Bai Zaiying,” Bai Zaixiang mechanically turned her head, staring intently at Bai Zaiying. “You’ve gone through all this trouble, quoting scriptures and going in such a roundabout way, just to accuse me of being hypocritical and seeking fame?”

Bai Zaiying felt uneasy under her gaze, as if her older sister was about to pounce on her and tear her apart. She took a step back, not daring to respond.

Bai Zaixiang ultimately did not pounce on Bai Zaiying and beat her up.

"Hoo!" She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. A cloudy tear welled up at the corner of her eye. "My mind is made up. No matter what you say, she has to take this beating. But it's not for any reputation!" With that, Bai Zaixiang turned and left.

"Big sister!" Bai Zaiyun quickly caught up, tightly grasped Bai Zaixiang's arm, and said through tears, "I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong. Please don't be angry!"

"It's no use saying anything, you have to take this beating." Bai Zaixiang gritted her teeth, but a sob still escaped from between them. "I deserve to be beaten, I deserve to be punished. Don't be sad." Bai Zaiyun hugged Bai Zaixiang's waist from behind. "I won't beg for mercy, just flatten my bottom!"

Bai Zaixiang's heart softened, and she turned around to hug Bai Zaiyun tightly. Their eyes met, and tears of fear, emotion, and relief welled up all at once.

Bai Zaiying stood alone outside. She stared blankly at the heartwarming scene before her, and then let out a long sigh: Well, I've become the bad guy.

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Most guerrilla generals' mansions in the world are like this: two courtyards and three halls, with the public area in front and the private area in the back, separated by a wall and connected by two side gates.

During the daytime meetings, the two side gates remained locked until everyone had left. Only then were the two locks on the outside removed by Mao's personal guards, who had been driven out by the Imperial Guards. With the outside locked, those inside couldn't get out; with the inside bolted, those outside couldn't get in.

Knock knock knock, knock knock knock!
Mao Wenlong leaned against the doorframe and knocked for a while before a timid voice answered from behind the wooden planks. "Who is it?"

"You fool! Who do you think I am?" Mao Wenlong reeked of alcohol. "Open the door for me!"

"Master!" The voice from behind the door immediately perked up. Then, the sound of wood rubbing against each other traveled along the door panel to Mao Wenlong's ears.

The door opened, and a slender, short woman's figure appeared in the moonlight. This was Wen Shi, Mao Wenlong's concubine.

"This servant, this servant and Madam..." Before she could finish speaking, Madam Wen opened her mouth and yawned. "We thought you weren't coming back again." Mao Wenlong liked to drink late into the night and even more so, he slept in the camp with his soldiers, so he often didn't return home at night.

"You have to come back today." Mao Wenlong put his arm around Wen's shoulder and pushed her into the backyard.

boom!
Mao Wenlong kicked off with his back leg, and the door panel and door frame slammed together heavily.

"The door isn't locked yet." Madam Wen turned around and lowered the latch.

"Hey, lock my ass. The main gate is already closed." Mao Wenlong was quite drunk, but his steps remained steady. "Besides, where in the whole of Zhenjiang isn't my man? You think you're afraid of thieves?"

"Sigh." Madam Wen sighed softly, not responding to Mao Wenlong's words. "Will you be going back to your room tonight, sir? If you are, I'll go and bring the child out." The "room" Madam Wen referred to wasn't her own west wing, but the main room where Mao Wenlong and his wife, Madam Zhang, slept together. When Mao Wenlong didn't return home all night, Madam Zhang and Madam Wen would sleep together in the main room, taking care of Mao Wenlong's only son.

"Stop resting my ass!" Mao Wenlong pointed to the east wing, which served as his study. "Go to the study and light the lamp and grind the ink for me. I need to write a letter."

"Write a letter?" Madam Wen looked at Mao Wenlong with suspicion. "It's so late, who does Master want to write a letter to?"

"Why do you care so much? Just go when I tell you to!" Mao Wenlong glared at him, ready to assert his authority as the head of the household.

"Mao Zhennan!" Just then, Zhang, who was wearing an overcoat but hadn't tied it, came out of the main room. Her voice was low, and her whole face was full of displeasure, "Could you please keep your voice down?"

“Madam.” Madam Wen immediately lowered her head and stepped back to the side.

"Who do you think you are? Listen to your master, hurry up and light the lamp and grind the ink!" Mao Wenlong grabbed Wen Shi's shoulders and gently pushed her towards the study. Before leaving, Mao Wenlong didn't forget to pat her bottom.

Wen naturally obeyed, but she nodded to Zhang first before walking towards the study.

"Keep it down, stop yelling." Zhang walked quickly to Mao Wenlong. "Chengdou finally managed to sleep soundly. Are you going to come and soothe him if you wake him up?"

"So what if he's asleep? I'm not asleep yet." A light flashed in the study, and Mao Wenlong glared at his wife. He turned and walked towards the kitchen next to the west wing. "Shake him up, I'll teach him to write." He said this, but Mao Wenlong's voice unconsciously dropped two octaves.

"What are you writing?" Zhang went to help Mao Wenlong, but smelled a strong odor of alcohol. "How much did you drink? Did you have a stroke?"

Heavily intoxicated and full of self-satisfaction, Mao Wenlong couldn't stand such words and immediately refused Zhang's help. He dodged aside, muttering, "I think you're the one who's had a stroke. You childless woman, how dare you talk to me like that." Before he could finish his rant, Mao Wenlong regretted it.

Zhang stopped. She stood rooted to the spot, her wide eyes reflecting the glistening moonlight. Soon, tears streamed down her cheeks and onto the ground. Zhang gritted her teeth, neither crying nor making a fuss; that would be too undignified. More importantly, the child was already fast asleep.

"Oh dear, I misspoke." Mao Wenlong chuckled awkwardly as he approached Zhang and reached out to take her hand.

Zhang shrank back in anger, refusing to let him touch her.

Mao Wenlong didn't care about her words and pulled Zhang Shi into his arms. "That's not what I meant. Please forgive me, just think of it as me being drunk and crazy."

Zhang tried to break free from Mao Wenlong's embrace, but how could an ordinary woman from a Shanxi aristocratic family possibly escape the arms of such a strong and capable military man? Unable to resist, Zhang could only sob softly in Mao Wenlong's alcohol-smelling embrace.

The truth is the most hurtful. Zhang did not have any children; Mao Wenlong's only son, Mao Chengdou, was the biological son of his concubine, Wen.

Mao Wenlong and Zhang married in the thirty-fourth year of the Wanli reign (1615), when Mao Wenlong was already thirty years old. For over ten years of marriage, Zhang had remained childless, without even a daughter. Mao Wenlong himself was quite accepting of this; if he couldn't have children, so be it. He wasn't worried about the family line ending if he found someone from the clan to inherit the lineage, since he himself had inherited the lineage from his uncle, Mao Dechun. However, Mao Wenlong's mother, Shen, was far less forgiving. She wrote letters constantly urging him to take a concubine. Moreover, Old Madam Shen not only wrote to Mao Wenlong but also to Zhang, demanding that she be sensible and quickly arrange for Mao Wenlong to take a concubine. Unable to withstand the pressure, Zhang had no choice but to find a humble family surnamed Wen in Liaoyang to hire a concubine for Mao Wenlong.

Unlike Zhang, Wen was truly fertile, becoming pregnant not long after marrying into the family. This made the old lady in Hangzhou very happy, and Mao Wenlong himself had no reason to be unhappy. Only Zhang, while feeling relieved that the Mao family finally had an heir, was also saddened and filled with self-pity.

(End of this chapter)